Current-supplying apparatus.



` H. `H. M. KAMMERHOFF.

CURRENT SUPPLYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.I3.19`Ia.

Patented May 21,1918.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE;

CH H. MENOYKAMMERHOFF, ORANGE, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR'TO EDISON STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF WEST CRAN GE, NEW JERSEY, .ACOBPORA'JJION 0F New JERSEY.

CURRENT-Sonnino 'nrrma'rus Specication of Letters Ilatent.l Patented 21, 1918.1

Application led December 18, 1918. Serial yo. 806,389.

- Tofall 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HEINRICH H. MENO4 v mg 1s a description.

My invention relates to current supplying apparatus of general application, and prlmarily relates to an electric battery-containing casing and connections therewith ,for use with miners lam s. j

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a portable lightin apparatus for use in mines, so arranged t at after the apparatus has been locked and given to a miner, it cannot be tampered with, andthe electrical connection between the lamp and the battery cannot be broken, thus adding to the safety of such apparatus by preventing the production of sparks, such as might be produced upon breaking a circuit, and the possible-ignition and explosion of iniiammable gases. For this purposeI provide a structure in which the conductors connecting the battery and lamp are automatically locked in place when the battery container is closed and locked. Another object of my invention is the provision of a compact, durable, unitary structure which is water and dust proof. My invention consists further in the details. of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more `through the cell casing taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 and disclosing a preferred embodiment of my invention connected to 'operate a miners head lamp. y

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the underside of the detached cover.

Fig. 3 is'a detailed vertical sectional view of the connection between-the casing and am This will/bung the poles of the cells into the electric y conductor 'leading to the and the central portion of the cover.y

'lhere is shown a battery comprising a casing l containing a pairl of galvanic cells 2 and closed by means of a removable hinged cover 3 telescoping the outside ofthe casing and normally locked in position by some Fig. 4 is a plan view looking down upon' suitablefmeans, such as the padlock 4. The battery is shown operativel connected foruse by means ofthe flexib e connection 6:

withV a miners incandescent lamp 5, forming the subject matter of my copendlng application, Serial No. 809,864, filed January 2, 1914. This connection includes a properly sheathed pair of electric conductors 7 one end of each of which is supported by an insulating disk 8 which carries the .spaced parallel split socket pins 9 which are electrically connected to the conductors 7 The pins project below thedisk 8 and fit within open' top sockets 10 mounted upon and insulated from each other and from the cover 3. The disk 8 is spaced from the connection 6 by a U-shape bracket 8 straddling andfastened tothe disk and, together with the pins, is preferably inclosed within a bell 11 carried by the connection 6 and arranged to have a telescoping fit over a sleeve 12 suitably afixed to the outside of the cover 3 and inclosing and insulated from the sockets 10. Depending from thedisk 8 and extending 'through the cover 3 within the sleeve 12 is a latch element 13 adapted to engage with and be locked by the'beveled head 14 of the spring pressed bolt 15 which isc slidably mounted on the underside of the cover 3 and provided with a fngerpiece 15 projecting laterally therefrom and constituting a means for retracting the bolt and for limiting the forwardmovement thereof. v

The sockets 10 are respectively in electric contact witha pair of conducting plates 1 6 supported by and insulated from the under si e of the cover, and each plate is in turn electrically connected with. one ofthe poles of the battery by means of coiled springs 17 vfixed to the battery poles, each of said springs preferably being in the form of a conical sp1ral.

1 In o eration7 the cells ,2 lare disposed*- within t ecasing 1, and the cover 3 brought into closed ositionl and suitably locked.

electrical contact with lthe sockets 10 re- 4 spectively through the springs 1'7 and plates 16. The lamp 5 may then be attached tothe ment with bolt 15, thereby assem ling" the parts in locked position so that is impossible to disconnect the conductors 7 from the battery unless the cover 3 is opened to perl mit access tobolt 15.

. sleeve 12 before contact is made between the pins 9 and sockets 10 so that any sparking at this point will take place within the bell. By making the terminals 17 in the form of conical spirals they may be compressed by the cover along their axes with the coils nesting concentrically one on the other thus insuring a good contact between the battery poles and cover. n

As the closed top bell 11 telescopes the sleeve 12 and as the cover 3 telescopes the casing 1, there is ythus provided a construction which will shed, any water dripping on the device, and these parts may have 'a fit to prevent the entrance of dirt and dust to the battery.

While I have described and shown a preerred embodiment of my invention, ,many

lchanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the specilic structure shown and described.

I-Iavin now fully described my invention,

what I c aim as new and desire to protect v by United States Letters Patent is as follows 1. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with a closed'casing, of a cell within said casing, a conductor adapted to be removably mounted on the exterior of saidcasing, and means within said casing adapted when said conductor is applied to the casing to automatically lock the saine to said casing and in electrical connection with said cell,l substantially as described.

2. In an lapparatus of the class described,

` the combination witha closed casing, of a cell withinsaid casing, a conductor exterior to-said casin 'oelectrically connected to said cell, and loc ing means within said casing for maintaining said conductor electrically connected to said cell, said locking means being inaccessible from the outside of the closed'casing, substantiall as described.

3. In an apparatus of t e class described,

the combination with` a closed casing, of' a cell within said casing, a conductor exterior to said casing electrically connected to said cell, locking means within said casing for maintaining said conductor electrically connected to said cell, said locking. means being inaccessible from the outside of the closed casing, and means roviding access to said locking meansysu stantially as described. 4 E

il. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination with a closed casing, of a source .of current within said casing, `a conductor side of said cover and insulated therefrom,

springs disposed within the container Vand between the terminals of the battery in the container and said plates res ectively, and a pair of conductors leading rom said con tainer, and removably associated with said plates respectively lfor electrical connection therewith, substantially as described. l

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a cell-casing-cover, of an electrical conductor having a socket attached thereto removably engaging vsaid cover, and locking means com 'rising an element associated with said soc et and'adapted to extend through said cover and a coacting element carried by the coveradapted to engage the element carried by the socket to ies cover having electrical conductors mounted on one side thereof, other electrical conductors removably connected to the o posite side thereof and electrically connecte to the rst named conductors, a latch su ported from said-last-mentioned side and) a latch engaging'member carried by said removable conductors and adapted to project through said cover into operative engagement with said latch, substantially as described.

8. A casing containing a source of electric current, conducting means mounted exteriorly on said casing, and adapted to have an electrical conductor removably applied thereto, said conducting'means bein electrically connected with the source of e ectric current in said casing, and means within the casin adapted to automatically lock said electrical conductor in electrical connection.

with said conducting means when such conductor is 'applied to the conducting means, substantially as described.4

9. A casing adapted to contain a source of electric current, a cover for said casing hav-4 1301 ing means for lockin the same in casingclosing position, a pair of plates supported from said cover, insulated frem the cover andy from each other and adapted to be brought into locking engagement With the source, a pair of connections exterior of the cover for engagement With a pair of conductors, connecting means between said connections and said plates, and va latch mounted on said cover and adapted to lock said pair of conductors to the casing, substantially as described.

10. 4In apparatus of the class described, a closed casing containing a source of current, a conductor adapted to be removably connected to-said casing and to extend there-v from, and means for automatically locking said conductor to said casmgand 1n electrical connection Wlth said source of current When the conductor is applied to the casing, substantially as described. y

11. In apparatus of the class described, a closed casing containing a source of current, a conductor adapted to be removably connected to said casing and to extend therefrom, and means inaccessible when the casing is closed for automatically locking said conductor to said casing and in electrical connection With said source of current when the conductor is applied to the casing, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 10th day of December, 1913.

HEINRICH H. MENO KAMMEBHOFF.

Witnesses HENRY LANAHAN, MARY J.I LAIDLAW. 

